The present disclosure relates to an image processing system, an image processing method, and an image processing apparatus.
Recently, image processing apparatuses such as a printer, a copier, and a multifunction peripheral have become a necessity in offices, and the like. Such image processing apparatuses are configured to print image data input from an information processing terminal such as a personal computer through a network such as a local area network (LAN) on paper, or transmit acquired image data to the information processing terminal, in addition to carrying out the acquisition and printing of the image data by a direct operation of a user. Further, a plurality of image processing apparatuses may be often installed on such a network and a user may select a desired image processing apparatus to carry out the printing of the image data, and the like.
When the plurality of image processing apparatuses are present on the network, a user who is unable to figure out a name of the image processing apparatus on the network and an installation position of the real image processing apparatus may not transmit the image data or receive the image data from the image processing apparatus, for example, even when the image processing apparatus is present in front of the user's eyes. Further, when the image processing apparatus is approximately selected, printed matter may be output to an unexpected place, such that the printed matter may not be withdrawn. Further, recently, wireless networks such as a wireless LAN have been proliferated. In such a wireless network, the installation position of the image processing apparatus and the information processing terminal may be easily changed. Therefore, it is more difficult to recognize the installation position of the image processing apparatus from the name of the image processing apparatus which is displayed on the information processing terminal.
For this reason, under the condition that the plurality of image processing apparatuses are installed on the network, various technologies enabling a user to easily output the printed matter from the image processing apparatus in the vicinity of the user using the wireless network and the like have been proposed.
For example, a technique of allowing the image processing apparatus carrying out the output of the image data and the acquisition of the image data and a computer wanting to print the image data and receive the image data to detect an intensity of a zone signal transmitted from each of the plurality of wireless base stations to recognize a control zone (a corresponding zone) of a wireless base station to which the image processing apparatus and the computer belong and a control zone (a neighboring zone) of a neighboring wireless base station has been proposed. In this configuration, the corresponding zone and the neighboring zone recognized by the computer and the image processing apparatus are registered in a server as zone data. For example, when the computer carries out the printing, the computer acquires the zone data from the server and selects the image processing apparatus belonging to the same zone as the zone of the computer based on the corresponding zone data to select the image processing apparatus which is present in the vicinity of the computer.
Further, a technique of including a positioning server calculating a position of the mobile station as a position of the computer based on received results of a radio wave for position detection which is transmitted from a mobile station moving along with the computer or one of the plurality of base stations fixedly installed in known positions and received by another one thereof has been proposed. In this configuration, the position information of the plurality of printers is stored in the positioning server as a database and a distance between the position of the computer and the printer is calculated. Further, the printer having the shortest calculated distance carries out the printing.